Database applications commonly utilize forms to display database information and for data entry. These forms utilize fields to display information retrieved from a database and to collect data for storage in the database. In certain database systems, it is possible to define a field on a form that is dependent upon another field on the form. For instance, a form may be defined for displaying information from a database regarding a customer order. The form might include a first field for showing a customer name and a second field, dependent upon the first field, for showing the street address of the customer selected in the first field.
When a user modifies the value shown by a form field, the user expects any other fields that are dependent upon the modified field to be updated to reflect the modified value. For instance, if a user modifies the customer shown in the first field in the example given above, the user will expect the second field to be updated to reflect the correct street address of the newly selected customer. If dependent fields are not updated in this manner, the user might be presented with stale information and may become confused.
Certain client-side database applications provide functionality for synchronizing form fields in the manner described above. However, in client-server environments, such as database applications implemented via the World Wide Web (“Web”), it can be very expensive in time and performance to synchronize dependent form fields in this way.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.